Star Wars’ Official Explanation for Why Kylo Ren Wears a Mask

Thanks to New York Comic Con, the official explanation for why Kylo Ren wears a mask in the Star Warsuniverse has been revealed. Adam Driver debuted as Kylo in a big way almost two years ago during Star Wars: The Force Awakens. His new force abilities, internal struggle, and Vader-like design made him an intriguing villain to follow in the new film trilogy, and one that fans are eager to see more of come Star Wars: The Last Jedi this December.

However, ever since his design was first revealed, many have continued to question why exactly Kylo looks the way he does. Unlike the grandfather he so admires, Kylo’s helmet serves no purpose in keeping him alive – even with his new face scar. While many fans assumed that Kylo wears the mask as a means of further emulating Vader, the actual reason is more complicated than that.

Lucasfilm has a booth set up at New York Comic Con this year and it features some accessories from The First Order. Star Wars News Net is one of the many outlets attending the convention, and made note of the official description given for Kylo’s helmet. Not only does it call Kylo “Jedi Killer” – an intriguing nugget by itself – but it also explains that he wears his helmet to conceal his identity: “His helmet was crafted to mask his visage and voice, concealing his identity as he delves further into the power of the Dark Side of the Force.” You can read the full description in the photo below.

While it is not clear if this tidbit will be addressed in either The Last Jedi and/or Star Wars: Episode IX, this nonetheless adds another intriguing wrinkle to Kylo Ren. The conscious effort made by Kylo to hide his true identity as the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, nephew of Luke Skywalker, and grandson to Darth Vader may further reflect his struggle to determine what side he should be on. By not letting his identity be widely known from the start (it may very well be known at this point), Kylo may have wanted to avoid the comparisons to his lineage and let his actions show where his loyalty lies.

In fact, Kylo’s rational for killing his own father was to allow him to further embrace the Dark Side (a move he also made with his mask off), and this description further illustrates his desire to completely eliminate the pull from the Light Side. Of course, Kylo’s story is far from over and may take an unexpected turn over the course of the new Star Wars film trilogy. He may be irredeemable in the eyes of many, but Kylo may yet prove to have a redemption arc in his future on the big screen.

It also remains to be seen how much time Kylo spends wearing his helmet during The Last Jedi. Marketing for the film has already shown Kylo gearing up for combat without his mask on, with The Last Jedi teaser trailer even showing a shot of said mask destroyed and smoking on the floor. Maybe Kylo was never a fan of the mask to begin with and will continue on without it, allowing the face of The First Order to be the son of the Resistance’s leader. With The Last Jedi‘s release date rapidly approaching, how much of the helmet and this reasoning comes into play will soon be revealed.